Tuesday, 21 May 2013

I'm a [small, small] girl in a [small, small] world

"Ah, what a small world it is, isn't it?" This question has been said to me and by me many times over the course of my life and I am sure I will both hear it and say it many times before my life ends. Whether it is because you bumped into someone you know in the most unlikely of places or because you found a random connection to someone you never met (Oh my gosh, you're from X!...Me, too! Wow, I've never even seen you around!")

To me, the world is simultaneously both a big, big world and a small, small world. There are so many places to go and see, things to do and people to meet that you could travel everyday of your entire life and still not see, do or meet all those things/people. However, there are so many moments and experiences that can make the world seem like a tiny place indeed.

There was recently an article in TheJournal.ie (http://www.thejournal.ie/pictures-of-ireland-585277-Sep2012/ ) that posted some absolutely stunning photos of Ireland. It's so easy to forget when you live there when "outside it's now raining", just how beautiful our little island is and what a wealth of culture and natural beauty it has on offer. These photos have inspired me to find the beauty in 세종시...or rather the little gems that make living in, what some may consider the back end of beyond, well worth it! (BTW - it's not the back end of beyond!)

I live in a new, planned city called 세종시. This is a growing town that is expected to have a population of half a million by 2030! Currently, the area of Sejong where I live is called 조치원. It's really small, less than 50,000 people live here but it is my home and over the last few weeks I've come to really appreciate it as the sun shines and the flowers bloom. A couple of weeks ago it was my friend's, Rucy Bear, birthday, and to celebrate we headed out to a lake in 세종시 Eating cake, crisps and sandwiches we kept exclaiming over this beautiful spot and found ourselves entirely grateful that it's a part of our new city. It's a man-built lake surrounded by new trees, interesting water features and a cycle path. It has an amphitheater in the middle of the lake that only adds to the atmosphere. As we sat there, and knowing that I had only just discovered it, I realised that " I do feel I will miss [조치원] much" whenever it is I decide to branch out to new things. I also realised that I don't know that much about the amenities and beauty spots of my town as I would like and so, I found myself setting forth on a challenge to capture the little things that have made daily life in Korea an easy transition.

So, you might think I'm mad to feel that I that I could already miss the small, small world of 조치원 if I left it anytime soon and you might think I'm mad to try and find any gems in this town. After all, when there are so many more beautiful places in Korea why would anyone want to come to this little place? Well, I hope when you review the following photos they may change your mind. 세종시 tourism may find themselves needing to commission me after this!

PS All photos were taken by me unless otherwise stated.
PPS This blog post was inspired by "Big, big world" by Emilia and the stunning photos in theJournal.ie.

A memorial park in 조치원

PPS There are other places too but I've never taken photos, I will add as I go to them again.